Barbed wire reel holder



1963 B. F. WIGGINS 3,100,607

BARBED WIRE REEL HOLDER Filed Aug. 12, 1959 a 1/ /2b (a i 0- If l \I,Hhlliiw.

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ATTOR/VEVJ United States Patent 3,100,607 BARBED WIRE REEL HOLDER BarneyF. Wiggins, Rte. 1, Box 174, Livingston, Tex. Filed Aug. 12, 1959, Ser.No. 833,343 1 Claim. (Cl. 24286.64)

The present invention relates to a new and improved device for reelingbarbed wire.

Barbed wire used in constructing stences is customarily sold in reels invarious uniform. or standard sizes. As is well known, a barbed wire.fence is comprised ofa plurality of posts, usually of Wood and mostfrequently of cedar, placed in predetermined locations on the line the.fence is to follow and two or more strands of barbed wire are afiixedperpendicularly to the posts, usually by stapling, and parallel to eachother. The number of strands used normally varies with the height of thefence.

Because of the verynature of barbed wire, i.e., with its protrudingbarbs, it is difficult to run a strand of wire on fence posts or thelike, and is even more diiiicult, to get the strands tightly between theposts. In manually stringing and tightening the wire injury to theperson from the barbs quite frequently results. 7

Machines currently being used for overcoming the aforementioneddifiiculties are expensive and beyond the economical reach of theaverage person stringing barbed' Wire fences.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to providea new and improved device for use in stringing barbed wire fences whichis inexpensive and can readily and easily be used by one or two persons.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedmeans for holding andreeling a reel of barbed wire. 7 i

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a newandtimproved means for quickly and easily applying tension to a strandof barbed wire being used in stringing a fence. 1

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide a new andimproved means for holding and carrying reels of barbed wire including aportable container or basket which may be readily attached thereto ordetached therefrom.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown,and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the device of the present invention with areel of barbed wire positioned thereon and in rotatable position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but illustrates the brakeof the present invention in position so as to lock the reel of barbedWire and the Wheels together;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation illustratingthe details of the method for connecting the wheels, axle and handletogether;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view, partly in section and partly in elevation,illustrating the details of the means used to lock the rest arm orhandle support means in an active position.

The device of the present invention is generally indi cated at in FIG.1, and as seen in the drawings comprises a pair of wheels 12, an axle14, a handle 16 connected to the axle 14, a brake rod 18 slidablypositioned on the handle 16, and a portable container which may bepositioned on the axle 1'4.

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The handle 16 is illustrated as being constructed of two identical rodsor bars 16 and 16 positioned adjacent each other and connected togetherby any suitable means such as welding or the like. At one end of each ofthe handle portions 16' and 16 is a right angle bend 16a which forms thehandle portions 16b for gripping by the hand of an operator. Theopposite ends of the rods 16 and 16" are flared outwardly from eachother at 16;- so that the rod portions 16d form a Y. The rods 16 and1.6" are bent inwardly at l fiefiorming the rod portions 16 whichareparallel to each other. The ends of the rod portions 16 are bentslightly outwardly and then inwardly, approximately forming a hook 16g(see FIG. 3) with the end portions 16]: thereof extending into each endof the axle 14.

The resiliency of the handle rods 16' and 16" of the handle 16 e'riablesthe end or hook portions 16g to be flexed from each other to be eitherinserted in or withdrawn from the axle 14.

Such resiliency or tension in the rods 16 and 16: tends to force the endportions 16g toward each other thereby holding the handle 16 inthe axle914. A lock pin 22 is positioned in a hole or opening 14a in the .axle14, outwardly of each of the wheels 12 and inwardly of the handle ends16h, thereby locking the wheels on the axle 14. After the handle ends1611 are withdrawn from the axle 14 the pin 22 maybe readily removedthus permitting the wheels 12 to be removed from the axle 14.

Referring to FIG. 3 the details of connecting the wheels to the axle canbe more easily seen. In the center of each of the wheels 12 is anopening 12a which is of a larger diameter than the axle 14 thuspermitting the axle 14 to be positioned and extend through the openings12a of the wheels 12 On each end of the axle 14 are a plurality of holes14a, 14a and 14a, as illustrated inFIG. 3, extending through the axle 14and adapted to receive a pin or cotter key 22 or other suitable meansfor retaining the wheels 12 on axle 14. The plurality of holes 14a, 14a?and 14a" permits the space between the wheels 12 to be varied asdesired. a

The wheels 12 are illustrated as being of one piece or body but have acircumferential flange 12b formed thereon for contact with the earth orground 8. They may be provided with rubber tires if desired.

The rod which functions as a brake means extends longitudinally on thehandle 16 and as shown in the drawings is carried on top of the handleportion 16' and 16" respectively. The rod 18 has a pointed or sharpenedend 18a and on the opposite end a right angle bend 18b is formed whichdefines the portion 18c to be gripped by the hand of the operator. Apair of brackets 26 are positioned on the handle 16 so as to receive therod 18 therethrough and accommodate longitudinal and rotational movementof the rod 18 on handle 16 when the rod is moved to engage the barbedwire as shown in FIG. 2, or when the rod 18 is moved to disengagedposition as shown in FIG. 1. The upper bracket 26 may also serve as astop for the rod handle portion 180.

A handle support or rest arm 28 is attached to the underside of thehandle 16 by means of a hinge 30 suitably attached to the handle at 16"and to the rest arm 28 at 2.8. When the rest arm 28 is not in use it maybe attached at its lower end 28" to a clip or clamp 34 which isillustrated in detail in FIG. 4. Such clamp 34 is positioned on thehandle 16 and is of such configuration and construction as to snap intoplace on the handle. Clamp arms 34' and 34 are under tension so as tourge them together. Thus when the rest arm 28 is placed between the cliparms 34' and 34" the rest arm 28 is held in position adjacent the handle16.

The device of the present invention is particularly adapted to the useof one or two individuals engaged in stringing barbed wire fence.

In the use of the invention the handle 16 is disconnected from the axle14 by removing the end portions 16h of the handle 16 from the axle 14.The pin or key 22 is removed from the axle 1.4 and one of the wheels 12is then removed thus permitting a reel of barbed wire to be placed onthe axle 14. The wheel 12 is then replaced on the axle 14, the pin 22 ispositioned in the hole 14a of the axle 14 and the handle 16 is attachedto the axle 14. The wheels 12 are of a larger diameter than the externaldiameter of the barbed wire reel (not seen) thus preventing any frictionbetween the ground 8 and the barbed wire reel.

As can best be seenin FIG. 1 of the drawings, the outermost end 360i thebarbed wire reel is pulled out so as to be attached to a fence post in amanner well known in the art. The device 10 is then pulled away from theplace of the barbed wire connection on the fence post and since the reelcarried by the axle 14rotates thereon and with the wheel 12, the barbedwire is unreeled. This pulling is normally done by hand.

The wheels 12 thus rotate in a counterclockwise direction and the barbedwire reel also rotates in a counterclockwise direction. When it isdesired to tighten the strand 36, as can best be seen in FIG. 2, the rodis pushed along the handle 16 through the brackets 26 so that thetapered or pointed end 18a of the rod 18 is forced into the barbed wirereel. This positioning of the rod 18 prevents rotation of the barbedwire reel and the wheels 12 thereby creating tension or tightening ofthe strand 36 when tension or forceis applied to the device 10 in adirection away from the point of connection of the barbed wire strand 36on the fence. I

The brake means or rod 18 is easily and simply operated. Thehandleportion 18c is turned from the downward position illustrated inFIG. 1 to the upward position as best seen 'in FIG. 2, and by pushing onthe portion 18c the rod 18 is forced into contact with the reel ofbarbed Wire thus preventing rotation of the barbed wire reel on the axle14. The brake'ls is quickly and easily released by pulling on theportion 180 thus disengaging the 110d 18 from the barbed wire reel.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention isillustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the size, shapeand materials, as well as in the A barbed wire reel holder including apair of wheels each having an opening therethrough, a continuous axleextending through the opening in each of said wheels, the diameter ofthe openings in said wheels being larger than the external diameter ofsaid axle, the external diameter of said axle being smaller than theinternal diameter of the reel of barbed wire whereby the reel may bereceived thereon, adjustable means on said axle for retaining saidwheels on said axle and for varying the distance between said wheelsthereby permitting said reel holder to receive reels of various widths,a handle releasably connected to said axle for moving the holder andbarbed wire reel supported thereon, said releasable connection includingmeans on said handle for connecting said handle to said axle, a rodextending longitudinally on said handle, brackets on said handle forsupporting said rod whereby said rod may be moved longitudinally alongsaid handle,

said rod having a tapered end thereon whereby said tapered end may beengaged with the barbed wire of the barbed wire reel to inhibit rotationof the reel on said axle, a rest arm attached to said handle forsupporting 7 said handle at a predetermined height, said rest arm beinghingedly connected to the underside .of said handle and positionednonperpendicularly with the ground when in use, and clamp means forlocking said rest arm adjacent said handle when not in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent

